Moving to the UK soon. Where’s the best place to buy a reliable used car?

Hi everyone,

I’ll be moving to the UK soon, and since I have to return my company car here in the Netherlands, I’ll need to buy my own car once I arrive. I don’t really know much about cars, so I’d really appreciate some advice.

For now I'm just looking for something reliable that get me from A to B.

A few questions I have:

What should I look out for when buying a used car in the UK? Are there any common issues or things that are different from how it works in other countries (like MOT, road tax, etc.)?

What are reliable websites or places to buy used cars? In the Netherlands we have sites like AutoScout or Marktplaats, not sure what the UK equivalents are.

How are car prices generally? In the Netherlands, you can usually get a decent car from around €6000. Is that similar in the UK, or should I expect to pay more/less?

And finally, are there any things regarding insurance, registration, or taxes I should know about as someone new to the country?

Any tips would be super helpful, even if it’s just a recommendation for a good website or dealership (Sunderland area).

Thanks a lot in advance!